Heat and glare protection

Blind fabrics can be selected by their heat and glare protection properties for optimal regulation of room temperature requirements. These properties – transmission, absorption and reflection – are displayed next to each fabric and are determined by weave, colour and coating.

Transmission describes the amount of light that passes through the pleated blind’s fabric. The lower the transmission value, the less daylight passes through the fabric.

Absorption describes the amount of light that is swallowed and transformed to heat by the pleated blind’s fabric. Lighter colours will absorb the least light.

Reflection describes the amount of light that is thrown back by the pleated blind’s fabric. The higher the reflection value, the better the fabric reflects incoming light and assists in keeping rooms cool. In addition to their fundamental weave and colour properties, fabrics with a specialised reflective coating (Perlex®) on their exterior-facing sides are particularly effective at reflecting light.

Heat protection works in two directions. There are fabrics that help keep rooms cool on hot and sunny days, there are those that keep the warmth inside during colder days and there are those that do both. Heat protection on sunny days is provided by fabrics with a light reflecting lamination. The insulating effects of honeycomb blinds are useful when it comes to keeping the warmth inside. A combination of both is the all-round solution.

Glare reduction for your workspaces

Protection from glare is vital for commercial and/or work station applications to avoid overexertion and exhaustion of the eyes. The transmission value of a fabric is particularly important when considering glare reduction, although the protection provided by the pleated blinds varies according to the orientation of a window. For example, the indirect light falling through a south facing window can be effectively reduced with a high transmission value of up to 20%, while glare protection from direct light requires fabrics with a much lower transmission value. For offices and other commercial applications, we recommend the following minimum transmission values depending on the orientation of the window

• North facing: 0 – 5 %
• East and west facing: 2 – 6 %
• South facing: 15 – 20 %

In our store, all pleated blinds with a transmission value at or below 5% are marked as suitable for work stations.